Episode 80: Beatrice Perron Dahlen – Making a creative living, teaching, making a book and Thread and Ladle

Sponsor: Taproot Magazine, is a quarterly print magazine full of delightful stories and photos written by and for people living fuller and digging deeper. Each issue is created around a subtle theme, featuring amazing recipes, crafts, and tales, all with the intention of inspiring people who are interested in deepening their connections to their families, communities, and themselves as they strive to live locally and closer to the ground. The content in each issue consistently blows me away. It is fulfilling and inspiring. The most recent issue GROW features a collection of wonderful finds as we close out Spring and step in Summer. With lessons in dyeing, making dolls, kefir, brunch and herbal recipes, essays on Marion Stoddart and the wonder of cacao, and a collection of knitting, crochet and sewing projects. There is so much goodness in each issue. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at Taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.

Fiber folk: Beatrice Perron Dahlen is a woman of many talents and I’m continually amazed with her creations and contributions to this fiber world, whether it be knitwear, embroidery or dyeing. But more than that, Beatrice is a mother who invests in her family, exploring creative ways to provide and balance being a maker and mother. She recently released a very special project, MAINE Knits. A book featuring 16 knitting patterns inspired by the Sea, Farm and Wild of Maine, designed by a wonderful group of Maine based designers. Make sure to check out MAINE Knits on Ravelry and Beatrice’s website, threadandladle.com. You can also find Beatrice on Instagram @threadandladle.

Photos by Beatrice Perron Dahlen, Carrie Bostick Hoge, Kathy Cadigan

Sponsor: I want to thank Taproot Magazine again for sponsoring this week’s episode. With the natural, easygoing and heartfelt focus of each issue, I find myself continuing to go back to it throughout the quarter, gaining a little something each time and looking forward to the upcoming issue. Make sure to check out the most recent issue GROW, and join Taproot’s Grow Makealong. All you need to do to join is make something from the Hands section of GROW, and share it on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtage #taprootmakealong for a chance at the crafty grand prize. Visit Taprootmag.com and renew or subscribe.

Event: Mark your calendars for a special event happening at Elaine and Mike’s farm, Old Homestead Alpacas. On June 17th they’ll be hosting their third annual open barn event, a day full of fun, fiber and some great history. So if you’re in the Walla Walla area, it’s worth the visit to meet and get to know both Elaine and her fiber family. I encourage you to visit Old Homestead Alpacas on Facebook and on Instagram @oldhomesteadalpacas

Giveaway: The winner of our last episode’s giveaway is Alyssa. You’ve won a copy of Making Magazine’s most recent issue No 3. DOTS and a yard of Robert Kaufman’s double gauze fabric. Congratulations!

I love that her husband is the person who taught her how to knit — so sweet! Her story definitely resonates with me as a fellow knitter and stay-at-home mom of littles. And Maine Knits would go quite nicely with my copies of Home & Away and Madder! 🙂

Another great podcast, thank you Ashley! Loved hearing about Beatrice’s story (and that her husband taught her to knit) and her thoughts on hobbie vs income; very refreshing. I’m loving my Maine Knits!

Thanks for all your work on this podcast Ashley. I was very interested to learn of Scratch Maker in Lebonan, NH. I am from NH and my mom was born in that City. All things come back around I guess. Thanks for the reference.

Thanks for all your work for your podcast Ashley. I was very interested to learn of Scratch Maker in Lebonan, NH. I am from NH and my mom was born in Lebanon. All things come back around I guess! Thanks for the reference.

Ashley, your podcasts never disappoint, it’s your quiet poignant approach to your guests. Hearing Beatrice’s story and her journey through the process of creating a book was so interesting. We, as consumers never get such an intimate description or understanding of the process. Thank you!

Another informative and delightful podcast Ashley! Every episode and story tickles my imagination and provides fodder for my imaginary homestead and or fiber love! Thank you for sharing these amazing creative souls.

Another really interesting episode. Thank you for introducing me to such wonderful content, some of which is new and some familiar. Isn’t it interesting that the sea and knitting go together. Just recently I was thinking of taking a chair down to my local windswept beach and settling down to some knitting with a thermos of hot tea! Maybe I will do it this week……………….

I am a new Woolful listener and have really enjoyed catching up on your podcasts. Lovely knits above, and I have been a fan of Taproot since the beginning. Thanks for your thoughtful work on this podcast. It is simply beautiful.

Thank you so much for allowing Beatrice to share her story… She was a joy to listen to and she now has a new fan… Me !!!
I would be so honored to win this weeks prize and be able to drool over her book. LOL
Thank you so much for such a great podcast…
I get so excited to listen to Woolful each month 🙂

What a delight to find your podcast! My daughter had tried to purchase the first edition of Maine Knits for my birthday — although disappointed that you had sold out, we both had a celebration for your success. This podcast makes me want to rekindle all of the fiber arts that I had learned in my youth. Thank you!

Absolutely love her story! I used to sew when I was younger and totally understand why she was excited to receive her own sewing machine. I was taught knitting when I was 6 and have never stopped. Maine holds a special place in my heart as my husband, his brothers and cousins have a cottage in Maine on an island that we have frequented. I always brought my knitting! So peaceful…Thank you for the opportunity to win this book

Oh my word, I just loved listening to this episode! I’ve subscribed to Taproot for a couple of years now, and GROW has been one of my favorites thus far. Super sweet to hear about the realities of publishing and life as a creative entrepreneur. Encouraging to me as a new indie dyer, as well. Thank you for this podcast — I’ve also listened for a couple of years but haven’t ever commented. Sending love and gratitude for the work you do!

Thanks, Beatrice, for sharing with us the joys and struggles. It’s all a balance, isn’t it? I enjoyed it so much.
Thanks to Ashley as always and to Taproot, Wing and a Prayer, and Thread & Ladle for the prizes!!

wow…so very interesting and emotional to hear of all the time and work
that goes into making these beautiful books for us fiber loving folks.
The behind the scenes of juggling a joyful hobby with deadlines and keeping
up with spending time with children and family.
Thank you for sharing from your heart…………….

Love Beatrice’s story and designs. I’m familiar with her, Wing and a Prayer Farm, and Maine Knits, but now I am also charmed with Taproot magazine and Woolful’s podcast! So happy and grateful to include all of this in my fiber world…thank you!

I really enjoyed this episode with Beatrice. Her designs are some of my favorites. It’s also been a long time since I listened to your podcast. I had an accident and couldn’t knit, spin, or really do any physical work for a while. It feels nice to be back and inspired!!!

Hi, I like your podcast a lot, it is very human, I discovered this a few weeks ago and I have listened to all episodes. It seems that you and your people are living in a dreamy world.
I’m not white, so I wish that you could some day make a podcast with fiber artists with other cultural backgrounds. Gracias, mucha suerte en todo!

The vert first podcast that I have listened to from start to end and I loved it! Thanks so much, I will certainly be back to hear more. Beatrice’s tale is inspiring as is your podcast – I shall return, LOL.

It was nice to hear from Beatrice in voice, especially when you live states away and only really see her through books, blog and IG. I think that’s what is so nice about your podcast. You can put a voice and personality to their picture and prints. I’m thankful to have Tammy’s beloved Thelma & Louise in my stash to knit The Gentle Ewe Shawl. It’s sure on my list!

Just found your podcast and really enjoyed the interview with Beatrice. It was very interesting hearing about how she put her book together. I, too, was a military daughter traveling by car everywhere, but I learned how to sew and knit from my grandmother. My husband does not knit, but supports my knitting and sewing projects 100%!
I look forward to your next podcast.

I am so excited to have found this! I used to know Tammi when our children were little ones…I have since moved from the great state of VT, miss it terribly, but can get my daily fix by stalking Wing and a Prayer Farm on Instagram–Yea! (Hi Tammy!)

My daughter introduced me to the Woolful podcast and I have to say I’m addicted. I especially liked hearing about Maine, because I used to go there as a small child and that is where I learned to knit from my Auntie Re. I’m still knitting 57 years later.

I really enjoy hearing the back stories of how people get started in what they love. The roads are so winding and there is often a lot of luck involved. I am always looking forward to the next interview to meet someone new or learn more about someone I may have already heard about.
I hope to get to Maine someday!

What a delightful podcast. I learned to sew from my aunt and to knit from my mother. As I get older, I treasure that legacy more and more. It will live on even after they are gone and has added poignancy to my fiber and fabric activities. Beatrice is honest about her struggle to manage all of the interesting and inspiring facets of her life: fiber, home, husband, children, teaching and design. I recently found her on Instagram and was happy to learn about her as a person after enjoying her posts and her designs. Thank you.

I loved the interview with Beatrice. I’m headed to Maine this summer and plan to connect with the fiber community. I love everything about the latest issue of Taproot and can’t wait to try the recipes and cast on the shawl pattern!

This was my first time visiting Woolful . I so enjoyed Beatrice’s podcast . I got here through friends I made at the Adironack Fiber Festival and mostly the wonderful sisters, Barbara and Sarah, who create the most wonderful fiber creations including hand hooked rugs and kits and patterns and hand dyed wool and handmade one of a kind ornaments and animals and pins (The Paisley Studio Blog or Paisley Studio Rug Hooking on Instagram) and their shepherdess extraordinary friend, Tammy of Wing and a Prayer Farm, and her beautiful farm and sheep and so many animals and red barns and events and her writing and handmade wool and cotton duvets and wool and fiber goods and pies and her connections to those of you in this enchanting fiber folk world: including Woolful; Taproot; Maine Knits; French General; and so many more. You are all so special.